Always smile for me
by Rikkumorningstar
Summary: It all happened so fast...and once help arrived...it was clear that he was already running out of time... *super sad Akuroku alert* UPDATED *I had to turn it into a two-shot...I just couldn't let it end that way TTvTT
1. Always smile for me

The first thing he noticed was a sticky wetness spreading through the left side of his coat. He touched it with his right hand and then stared momentarily at the red substance. He smiled at the irony. _I __have __no __heart __yet __somehow __blood __still __pumps __through __my __body._ He perfectly flipped backward to avoid another attack that had, this time, been aimed at his head. His wound gushed slightly making him start to feel woozy. He began to sway and stumbled back.

"Roxas!"

Whoever it was calling him seemed very far away, like their voice were being carried to him from the other side of a gigantuous cave.

The Keyblade Master slammed his weapon into the ground to help steady himself. His current Heartless opponent took this moment to set a head on collision course with #13. This particular Heartless was much larger and faster than what the Organization usually dealt with. It was beginning to look like their 13th member was out matched on both speed and strength. Roxas looked up in time to see something or someone collide with the monster, and as the ground shook from the massive impact, he lost his hold on the weapon and began to teeter over. He felt too weak to even brace himself for what would be his face hitting the ground, so he was somewhat startled when strong arms wrapped around him and guided his safely to the ground.

He could still hear muffled explosions as the battle with the giant Heartless continued. Roxas tried to see who was with him, holding him gently against their warm body.

"Roxas," they said, their voice drenched with panic. "Oh God… There's so much blood." They then yelled over their shoulder, "Demyx! Where are you with those potions?"

The blonde's vision began to focus just enough to see who was with him. "A-Axel…" he tried, but it came out somewhat strangled.

Axel placed a gentle finger on his friend's trembling lips. "Shhhhhh, don't try to talk. Help's on the way, you're going to be just fine," his voice cracked on the last word.

Roxas began to tremble a little as he said, "A-Axel…I-I'm sorry…"

Axel wiped some hair out the blond's eyes, "For what?"

"Our promise…t-to always be together," his brows scrunched together as a tear slid from his eyes, "and now…now we won't-"

"Don't talk like that," said Axel, in an angered panic, "You're going to be fine, so don't you worry about our promise, okay?"

Roxas' eyes widened a fraction at the sight of the fear now in his best friend's eyes. "You're…scared…?"

"What…?"

"I-I've never seen you…get scared…" Roxas smirked.

Axel gave an uneasy smile and said, "Yeah, well, it would be a shameful lie to say I was anything else, right now."

Roxas was growing paler and colder as his breathing became more erratic. Axel then noticed the blood pooling around his friend and flew into another wave of panic.

_This __can __NOT __be __happening! __Demyx __where __are __you!_ he thought desperately.

"It-it wa…wasn't supposed to be…like this…-…so hard," more tears streamed from down the blond's cheeks.

A few tears slid from Axel's eyes as he gently caressed his friend's cheek and thought, _He__'__s __losing __himself__…__!_

Roxas reached up a bloodied hand to wipe away Axel's tears and said just above a whisper, "Your…smile…always made my heart beat just…a little…faster…" his breathing began to slow way down, which told Axel only one thing, "I…always loved…that…about you… Promise…you'll always smile…for me…" Demyx wasn't going to make it in time.

Axel trembled with the overwhelming grief now penetrating his whole being. He gently closed his friend's eyes and then leaned forward to plant a kiss on his forehead. When he pulled away, he was wearing the smile he only ever showed Roxas, but he couldn't stop the tears from overflowing. "I promise you, Roxy," he took a shuddering breath, "I won't let you down."


	2. Miracle

He didn't know how he had managed surviving the day much less the past two and a half weeks. In fact he didn't really even seem to notice the time that had gone by since time itself had pretty much ceased to exist when Roxas had. He spent most if not all of his time gazing out at the ocean and then most if not all of the evenings watching in a daze as the sun slid beneath it. And then he would finally force himself to retreat to his room and then, not so much sleep as dream of all the ways he could have saved the love of his life. And then he would wake up and begin the routine all over again.

However, this night seemed much more painful than usual and he fell apart much more suddenly. His chest throbbed with piercing pain and angrily he wondered how it was even possible to experience heart break when you supposedly didn't even have one _to break_, much less feel so incredibly lost and alone. He didn't know how much longer he'd be able to bear it.

He looked up at the stars and _tried_ his best to smile, but failed miserably. He no longer had the strength to keep his promise nor the energy to remain in a world that now seemed so empty. So instead he glared angrily at the stars and shouted, "How could you just leave me? How can you possibly expect me to continue on like you were never here? You're such a jerk, Roxas! You can't just do this to me! I demand you come back to me, now!"

Silence was all that answered.

His anger quickly melted into deep despair as the tears came streaming from his eyes. "Don't you get it," he sobbed, slowly dropping to his knees, "I can't possibly exist without you… I've never been stronger than when I'm…with you… And it wasn't just that," he balled his hands into fists, pulling out some grass, "With you around, I no longer needed to obtain a heart… You see…you _were_ my heart…, my life, my…everything…"

He wiped his eyes and slowly rose back to his feet, "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I can't possibly keep my promise. You were the only one I ever smiled for and I guess you never knew why… But don't worry," he said, walking to the edge of the cliff, "I'll smile again. Seeing you again will be all the reason I'll need," he spread his arms out a sudden gust of wind blowing back his coat and red hair. "I'll be with you very soon," he smiled and then leaned forward.

But instead of plummeting into a freefall, someone was pulling him back to safety. He struggled against them in desperation.

"Let go of me! I have to do this-I have to see him again! I-"

"No, Axel! I can't let you kill yourself!" they paused a moment before adding, "Not over me…"

There was a similar desperation in _their_ voice and it took Axel a moment to process what they had just said.

_Not over me…_

Axel's eyes widened as the impossible began piecing itself together.

_His voice…his hands…but how-_

He slowly turned around and looked down to see blond hair and when they looked up at him a pair of impossible blue eyes with a similar sadness swimming in them.

"What-how-I-I don't…"

"I couldn't just let you kill yourself," said Roxas, clutching at Axel's coat.

"But how…"

"I don't know exactly," said the blond before pausing in thought. Their coats flapped about as another gust of wind swirled around them. "One moment I was screaming at you not to do it and next thing I knew I was standing behind you and you were leaning forward. I didn't know how or why," he gave Axel a stern look, "But now that I was here, I couldn't just let you go to another place I wouldn't be... Besides, I already failed once to tell you this and I'm not letting the chance slip though my fingers again. So, Axel, I lo-"

But before he could finish, Axel had already laced his fingers through Roxas' hair and gently placed his lips on the blond's. At first Roxas was annoyed that he had been interrupted, but considering _what_ had done the interrupting, he knew Axel felt the same way. So, he laced his arms around the red head's waist and pulled him tight against him. The kiss quickly deepened into a dizzying passion that had both their heads spinning.

After several moments, Axel pulled away breathing heavily and wearing a big goofy smile for all the world to see. For a moment he just stared into the soulful eyes of the young man who only two weeks ago had died in his arms. The one he had nearly ended his _own_ life to be reunited with, but somehow that very person had stopped him and was now standing here before him as the single most desired answer to every prayer that had gone unanswered.

"You know," said Axel, still slightly elated, "It seems you're not the _only_ one who didn't want me to die…"

Roxas blinked at him and said, also in slight elation, "What do you mean?"

Axel gave a crooked smile as the first tear of joy slid from his emerald eyes. He gently laced his right hand through the blond's hair and said, "Whoever brought you back must have known that your voice and your touch were the only things that could have possibly saved me at that moment."

Roxas smiled sadly as he pulled Axel down and kissed the tear on his pale cheek. He then moved his lips back to Axel's and guided him to the ground until he was resting on the red head's chest. He then deepened the kiss and slid his tongue over Axel's lips while lacing his fingers through spiky red hair. Roxas smiled when his friend moaned with pleasure. How could it be possible that this man didn't have a heart when he expressed love so eagerly…so passionately? Roxas finally pulled away and gazed down at the man whose love for him was so powerful it had somehow granted him a second chance to be with him.

"I love you, Axel."

"I love you, more," teased Axel.

"I love you most," sighed Roxas, resting his head on his friend's chest.

For a moment they staid like this, lost in the miracle that had placed them back together. Axel slid his arms around Roxas' back and said softly, "I think we should update our promise."

Roxas chuckled. "To what now?"

"That when we _do_ die, it will be together…fighting back to back…!"

The blond grazed his lips across Axel's neck. He grinned when the red head shivered. Roxas propped himself up and smiled down at him in adoration for a short moment before whispering, "You've got yourself a deal."

X.X.X.X.X.X

END


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